Wheego, one of the first companies to deliver a full line of recreational and street electric LSVs (Low Speed Vehicles), with a target of 50 U.S. car dealerships a combination of traditional car dealerships as well as those dealerships which exclusively sell electric vehicles – announced that it has started to take reservations for its very first car, the Wheego Whip, and will begin shipping them out in May. 

The first dealer test drives of the Wheego Whip were conducted in Ontario, Canada in December and while the Whip isn’t for everybody (although it tops out at only 25 mph, it’s street legal on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or less) it would be great for college campuses, gated communities, resorts and small towns where the speed limit meets federal regulations of less than 35 mph. To get a better idea of what the Wheego Whip is, it’s similar to the Smart car in concept and design. 

The Wheego Whip is a two-passenger automobile with some competitive features in a subcompact, including remote keyless entry, air conditioning and an MP3 stereo system all which are standard equipment on the Whip. It retails for under $19,000, and it only costs about 3 cents per mile to operate. There is also a 10% Federal Tax Credit on the purchase price of the car as a Low Speed Vehicle. When the Whip is eventually certified and sold as a full speed car, the Federal Tax credit will be $7,500.

Wheego has also announced several innovative programs to spur the launch of the Whip. Those who purchase the car will be able to upgrade their vehicles as new technology emerges.

If you buy a Wheego Whip with AGM batteries and – when available – want to upgrade to:

• Lithium Ion Batteries – The cost to upgrade will only be the difference between the net purchase price of your car and the MSRP of a new Whip LSV with Lithium Ion batteries.
• A New Full Speed Wheego Whip – The trade in value of your LSV Whip will be the net purchase price of your car less 2% for every month that you have owned your car. And you will receive a $7,500 federal tax rebate when you buy the full speed Whip.
• There is also a referral program called the “Wheego Friendzee” that pays a $250 cash rebate to both the new purchaser, and any owner who refers a new customer to Wheego.

Said Jeff Boyd, President of Wheego:

“Last week we announced that we are taking applications for Wheego dealerships, and we were pleasantly surprised at how many inquiries we received directly from customers who are ready to buy the car.  As consumers make more green-conscious car buying decisions, the Wheego Whip has emerged at the forefront as an affordable all electric solution to the transportation needs of many consumers. The word has spread quickly on the Internet about the first customer-focused test drives of the Wheego Whip conducted in Ontario, Canada in December, where there was unanimous praise for the car, and there are lots of people who want to be among the first to make a bold statement. The ensuing demand compelled us to use our website to take customer reservations for the car.”

For more information, visit the official site at Wheego.net.

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